Namaste! Did you know that the current coach of the Nepali national football team (as of January 2012) is an Englishman named Graham Roberts, who once played for Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur? Or that Prince Harry wants to climb Nepal’s most famous landmark, Everest, in 2012?!

Nepal, situated in the Himalayas, surrounded by China and India, is home to the highest point on Earth, Mount Everest as well as a whopping 27 million people. Gurkhas, soldiers from Nepal, served with the British Army. According to the Nepalese Association, otherwise colourfully known as Himalayan Yeti, 50,000 Nepalis live in the UK.

So it stands to reason that you can find some fine Nepalese cuisine in London. I am much taken with the names of some Nepali restaurants listed outside the capital – how can you resist the Yak and Yeti in Truro – or even better, the Yak Yeti Yak in Bath? But within London, for great food, a welcoming atmosphere and excellent value, it’s hard to beat Munal on the Putney/Barnes border on the Upper Richmond Road; Gurkhas Diner in Balham; or The Great Nepalese near Euston station, a family business since 1982 and also a firm favourite.

Nepalese cuisine is all about blending herbs and spices, and specialities include “momos” or dumplings (one of the most popular food staples in Nepal as well as Tibet and Bhutan) served with hot tomato chutney, lentil pancakes, mutton curry, potatoes with cumin, and plenty of dishes made with ginger, garlic, green herbs and fresh hot chillies. Then there’s black dal, made from lentils grown in Kathmandu; dal bhat, or lentils and rice, is the Nepalese national dish – perfect for sustaining energy when climbing mountains!

The celebration of Nepalese New Year falls in April, and other major festivals like Dashain and Dipawali around October. If you’re looking for musical and other events, first stop should be the website of Nepali Samaj UK, a community website for Nepalese people in the UK. Other information can be found on the website of the Britain-Nepal Society and the Nepalese Association UK, which runs language classes and dance workshops, and encourages people of all communities to participate in its activities.

]]>North Korea in London: La Galleria, Pall Mallhttp://blog.visitlondon.com/2011/07/north-korea-in-london-la-galleria-pall-mall/
http://blog.visitlondon.com/2011/07/north-korea-in-london-la-galleria-pall-mall/#commentsFri, 01 Jul 2011 11:09:47 +0000http://blog.visitlondon.com/?p=21882There aren’t many North Koreans living in London and it’s difficult to find much of a trace of the country in the capital.

But a trip to La Galleria in Pall Mall will allow you a rare insight into this secretive society.

La Galleria currently holds a number of North Korean artworks, which are for sale and can be viewed by appointment.

North Korean artists must be registered with the state and their work is usually commissioned by the state as well. Due to North Korea’s isolationism, its art is largely uninfluenced by world contemporary art trends.

Peter Fajemisin, a Nigerian-born Londoner and computer programmer, contributed this Nigeria in London post for our World in London series.

When I hear the words “Nigeria in London”, it automatically brings a big smile to my face and the words vibrant, lively, successful, established, hardworking, Pentecostal and all round fun come to mind.

The trick to enjoying Nigeria in London is to embrace the uniqueness and richness of Nigerian culture.

If you are free on a Sunday morning, then pop down to KICC(Kingsway International Christian Centre) church, where you’ll be highly blessed by the Pentecostal atmosphere. You’ll also hear a combination of traditional and contemporary music from the cultural influence of the 46 nations that regularly attend, accompanied by preaching by influential and highly respected Nigerian pastor, Matthew Ashimolowo.

Nigerian promoters and entertainers have had huge success with comedy, music, and other events in London. IndigO2is a popular venue and, looking at the current trend, Nigerian entertainers are moving ever closer to holding their events at the 23,000-capacity O2 Arena right next door.

Other Nigerian hot spots include:

Black Grape Music Venue and Gastro Bar brings breakthrough black music and Afro-Caribbean cuisine to the masses. Its inclusive atmosphere sets it apart as an accessible and welcoming touch point where everyone can enjoy the best in good food and amazing live music. There are regular events from stand up comedy, to urban music performances to jazz. Black Grape‘s popularity is driven by the collective energy of owners Eddie Kadi (A recognised UK presenter, comedian artist and MC), Yolanda Brown (British jazz, urban and contemporary saxophonist and composer) and the manager Tokunbo Oyelola.

Aso Rock Restaurant is a business whose owners – a London-based family of Nigerian-born parents and their UK-born kids – featured in the most recent series of TV Channel 4’s The Family. For me this symbolises the multiculturalism of London and more importantly the acceptance of Nigerians in London. Aso Rock’s best sellers are rice and stew, small-small meats and meat pies.

Obalende suya express was one of the first Nigerian fast food restaurants in London; their specialty is suya (meat grilled over spitfire and seasoned with very hot spices). They have tailored their suya and other Nigerian cuisines to be reasonably spicy to cater for the taste buds of those who can’t handle extremely spicy foods. But if you want, you can ask for a really spicy version: it’s like a soft-hot smoke bomb going off in your mouth! Obalende has been dubbed the “African MacDonald’s” so it you are ever south of the river, visit this Peckham institution for a taste of Nigerian take-away food.

For Nigerian film lovers, Nollywood is ever prominent in London with several events taking place frequently. And London’s BFI recently hosted a day for New Nigerian Cinema, bringing together directors and film makers to brainstorm ways to achieve higher standards so they can compete in the international film industry. You can watch Nigerian films on the big screen at the Odeon Cinema in Greenwich, and there are several Nigerian channels available on British TV via Sky.

You will find a very vibrant and established Nigerian community in London. I think London provides an opportunity to experience a multicultural society at its finest. You really will find “the world in one city” in London.

Do you have any other tips for enjoying Nigerian culture in London? Let us know in the comments below.

I don’t think the primary export that comes to mind when thinking of New Zealand in London is cafés, coffee and baristas. But that is what you’ll find when entering one of a new breed of independent cafés populating London these days.

Café culture has been strong in NZ for a long time. We like nothing better than relaxing alone and watching the world go by, or chatting with friends with a flat white or long black in hand. These are served with a healthy dose of love, maybe a bit of quirk, and, dependent on the time of day, eggs on toast, a savoury muffin (we do love a good savoury muffin) or a sweet treat.

Many cafés roast their own beans with strong rivalries between your local favourites. For me, it was always Café L’affare, but that’s an aside. In London, I’m lucky enough to be near Nude Espresso on Hanbury (who roast nearby in the Truman Brewery, I think) run by a guy I recognise on sight from Wellington but can’t quite place. If we spoke long enough we’d sort it out, as is often the way with Kiwis abroad.

]]>http://blog.visitlondon.com/2010/10/new-zealand-in-london-independent-cafes/feed/8Netherlands in London: The Dutch Churchhttp://blog.visitlondon.com/2010/09/netherlands-in-london-dutch-church/
http://blog.visitlondon.com/2010/09/netherlands-in-london-dutch-church/#commentsFri, 24 Sep 2010 09:00:04 +0000http://blog.visitlondon.com/?p=14775London is home to around 40,000 Dutch people as well as the oldest Dutch-language Protestant Church in the world.

The Dutch Church was established by Royal Charter from King Edward VI who granted religious freedom to Protestant Dutch refugees fleeing Spanish occupation of the Netherlands.

For our World in London series, I spoke to Frank Dekker, Chair of the Church Council and Trustee, about the Dutch Church’s role in London’s Dutch community:

“We want to be a place where Dutch people can come and feel at home whether through music, as a meeting place, or through religion.

“Most of what we do is in Dutch. We are open to all but our members are predominantly Dutch. Services are in Dutch and we organise six city lunches a year. At these, prominent Dutch people give a talk and it is a networking event afterwards. We get up to 200 people at these, depending on the speaker. We want to enable like-minded people to meet.”

The Dutch Church has played a huge role in the lives of Dutch people emigrating to London over the years, particularly after the Second World War, as Frank explains:

“If you look back at the generation that arrived after the Second World War, a lot has changed. It was a major step back then and the church provided an anchor to their Dutchness. Now, people come for one or two years to study or on a business assignment and can easily jump on a plane and be home in two or three hours. So it’s less of an upheaval and we are less of an anchor. But we still aim to be a home to the Dutch community.”

So, can anyone attend the Dutch Church?

“You don’t need a Dutch passport to get in! Any English people are welcome – we would host them just as they’ve hosted us all these years. We have people from South Africa and Belgium and sometimes other countries. Anyone is welcome, but our attendees are predominantly Dutch.”

And with 2012 on the horizon, the church is hoping to play an important to role for those new to London once again:

“The Dutch Tourist Board expects 40,000 Dutch people [will visit London] every day during the Olympics. We have used it as a time to renovate. We want to be a real centre of Dutchness – not just with religion but with culture, music and, again, to be a home to the Dutch community whether they are here for a day or permanently.”

Have you been to the Dutch Church? Do you know of any other Dutch experiences in London? Let us know in the comments below.

For our World In London: Norway post, I spoke to the woman who helped bring that tree to London.

Oslo-born Irene Garland moved to the UK in January 1969. Garland worked for 18 years at the Norwegian Department for Press, Information and Culture (part of the Norwegian Embassy), which organises the annual Christmas tree gift in recognition of Norway’s gratitude for Britain’s support during WWII.

Since 2004 Garland has been secretary of the Anglo-Norse Society, a registered charity with 700 members. Irene tells me it’s made up of “Norwegians in the UK, British people who’ve lived or are living in Norway or have ties to the country, Norwegian students and those who are studying Norwegian language, politics, culture and geography (such as polar expeditions and the Sami people).

“The Society was established in 1918 but had a break for the war. It was re-established and re-financed in the 1950s. The 1950s were the “good old days” of the Society and it was far more high-profile back then – we used to get Vanessa Redgrave and all the big-name actors who were appearing in Ibsen plays in London to speak at our events!

“In the good old days before the internet, the Society was a way for Norwegians in London (and the rest of the UK) to read Norwegian newspapers and keep in touch with their fellow countrypeople.”

Nowadays, Garland says, the Norwegian Church in Rotherhithe is a hub for Norwegians in London.

“The Church hosts family activities, classes, play days and a weekend bazaar that’s very well attended, where you can buy Norwegian food and other products. A lot of Norwegians would go to church for the bazaar, if not necessarily for the services.”

Garland names Holland Park YWCA as a popular budget option for Norwegian students and families visiting or studying here. And, for the children of diplomats on one to two-year placements, there’s the Norwegian school, which closely follows Norway’s curriculum and is attended by 50-80 students from nursery to age 16.

“Most Norwegian people come to London on holiday at some point. When you think that Oslo, Norway’s biggest city, has only half a million people… there’s so much going on in London, you can find anything here. All my friends from university onwards, none have managed to avoid London! And back when things were really expensive in Norway, you used to come with an empty suitcase to fill!”

One thing Garland loves most about London is getting up high for a panoramic view.

“I’ve been on the London Eye and I would love to visit Millbank Tower now it’s opened. I’ve heard you might be able to go up BT Tower too. When you come from a mountainous country, you always want to find places you can look out from.”

Have you experienced Norwegian culture in London? Tell us about it in the comments below.